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Joffrey Lupul excited to be back in Leafs lineup

Joffrey Lupul returns to the Leafs lineup for the first time since October as team heads to Pittsburgh to face Penguins.

Joffrey Lupul, who has missed 12 games this season, skated on a line with Trevor Smith and David Booth, during practice Tuesday. They are a probable line combination on Wednesday in Pittsburgh against the Penguins. (Graig Abel / NHLI via GETTY IMAGES file photo)

Joffrey Lupul was like a kid at practice; bouncing the puck off his stick, making slick moves on goal, and smiling throughout the Maple Leafs’ Tuesday workout.

Later, as the Leaf winger faced the cameras, his flushed cheeks gave him that little-boy look — the look of someone who couldn’t wait to get back on the ice and play a real game.

And why shouldn’t he be excited? He’s back in the lineup for the first time since he broke a bone in his hand Oct. 30 during practice, and the whole team is feeling the lift.

“You’ve got a veteran player that’s got a lot of skill,” assistant coach Peter Horachek said, post-practice at the MasterCard Centre. “He’s a leader of the team and getting a guy like that back is just a boost.”

Lupul, who has missed 12 games this season, was skating on a line with Trevor Smith and David Booth, and they are a probable line combination on Wednesday in Pittsburgh against the Penguins.

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That line is an unknown entity, because Booth is also coming back from an injury: this will be his first game since he broke his foot Sept. 28 while playing against Buffalo.

Nazem Kadri said it’s good to have Lupul back.

“I know he’s pretty anxious to get going,” said Kadri, who has much experience playing on a line with Lupul, but skated Tuesday on a line with Leo Komarov and Mike Santorelli at practice

“I know he’s going to be pretty jacked up,” said Kadri, “and I think he’s going to give the rest of the group a lift.”

“I’m really excited to be playing,” Lupul said, sweating hard after the workout. “I’m sure Boother will say the same thing. It’s been a long time for him.”

The practice was special for the Leafs because this is the team’s annual father-son trip, and many dads were in attendance, ready to head off to Pittsburgh after practice.

Booth said “it’s a pretty cool way,” to bounce back in the Leaf lineup with his dad, Mike, a dentist in Fraser, Mich., in attendance. Playing with Lupul is a dream matchup, he said.

“Lupul is such a dynamic player and really controls the play. He’s got so much skill,” said Booth. “I look forward to playing with him.”

Lupul doesn’t want to just come back and find a spot in the lineup: “I hope I can make an impact to add something,” the 31-year-old winger said, joking that he’s good to go unless he wakes up Wednesday morning and “feels terrible.”

Lupul can be forgiven for mistrusting his body sometimes. He’s had a history of injuries that have set him back. The 6-foot-1, 206-pound winger has been skating and practising for the last week.

“Unfortunately, for the last four years, I’ve had to deal with some injuries,” Lupul said, “so it’s kind of been the same protocol.

“It’s been something different the whole time, which is kind of the thing that makes it very frustrating, but it also makes it easier to deal with when you come back like this, so I’m not like a guy who’s had three knee surgeries and is coming back saying, ‘I don’t want to hurt my knee.’ ”

The Leaf forward said he had hoped to be back a week ago, but the medical staff kept him out longer to make sure he is fully healed. The last thing Lupul wants or needs is to reinjure the hand and have to start the process all over.

Lupul will have the hand wrapped up, but he said it won’t hinder his shooting or stickhandling.

In nine games, Lupul has recorded two goals and one assist. Last season in 69 games, he scored 22 goals and added 22 assists for 44 points.

Although Lupul has missed stretches of time with injury, he said he feels lucky that he hasn’t had a chronic injury to a knee or shoulder. He called his injury a “fluke,” which was sustained when he put his hand down — stick still in it — to break a fall.

“In my stupidity, I didn’t report it that day to the medical staff,” Lupul said. But he said he wasn’t concerned at first, because he had a full range of motion. When it was sore the next day, before an Oct. 31 game in Columbus, he had it X-rayed.

Even then he didn’t believe the results.

“I don’t know if I just didn’t want to believe it,” Lupul said. “It was disappointing, but I’m over it now.”

On Wednesday, the Leafs will be wearing a crest on their jerseys in honour of former head coach and general manager Pat Quinn, who died Sunday at the age of 71. The crest is a shamrock, with the initials “PQ” in the centre. It will also be worn Saturday when the Leafs are at home against the Washington Capitals.

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